(Part 2) Best performing arts history books according to redditors
We found 104 Reddit comments discussing the best performing arts history books. We ranked the 68 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
[Stalker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalker_(film)
The argument I make for this being my top film choice is a rather economical one...I watch this film once every year and I carry it (the spirit, feeling) with me for months after each view. Each time I watch it, I appreciate something new or re-appreciate it all over again.
The film was shot 3 different times, with differing crews (using over 5,000 meter of film), with almost identical results...this points to a vision that was unrelenting. The fact that the core of the movie is ambiguous, creates a mystery that is compelling and grows upon repeat viewing.
One of the other reasons I really like Stalker, is from the wealth of apocrypha and literature dealing with the movie and production. The documentary "Rerberg i Tarkovsky. Obratnaya storona Stalkera", the definitive 'Tarkovsky on Tarkovsky' "Sculpting in Time", the beautiful "The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky: A Visual Fugue", the scholarly tome "Andrei Tarkovskys Poetics of Cinema", and the upcoming work "Zona: A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room" by Geoff Dyer.
>Photograph of a mini children's' train parked in front of a Trans-Texas Theater that was located at 5601 North Lamar Boulevard. The engine of the train has an illustration of a Native American in a headdress, and each of the cars behind it have various animal illustrations on them. A road can be seen behind the train, part of which leads behind a sign for the drive-in theater that stands tall in the background. A light colored vehicle can be seen parked on the road beside the sign.
source
It seems like most people have heard of the old Burnet Drive In Theater that is now the site of a public storage lot. I thought today I would share a bit of what's on the internet about some other less-remembered Austin drive in theaters. We start at the beginning. If you look closely in the bonus pics from last week's historypost of mine showing the Austin Daily Tribune Building's construction at 9th and Colorado streets in the early 1940s, Bonus Pic #3 from last week shows something peculiar in the foreground (besides being misdated as 1949, it was really 1940). You can just make out the name on the marquee: 'Bell Air Dome'.
From 1913 to 1924, during at a time when the Paramount Theater downtown was still called The Majestic, this Bell Air Dome place was Austin's first open air theater, right there at 9th and Colorado across from the Governor's Mansion. I don't know much about this place to tell ya'll but cinematreasures.com has an old, small news clipping saved about it. This was not a true drive in theater, though, because it was at a time when cars hadn't yet fully proliferated throughout society.
According to Wikipedia the first true drive in theater in America (with the speakers in the parking lot) was opened in 1933 in New Jersey. It took another 7 years for the first one to open in Austin. Again according to cinematreasures (who I will be depending on for most of the links today) this place, at 6600. N. Lamar
(then called Dallas Highway) was the first one. It's a bit confusing, however, because if you will notice that address is awfully similar to the address in the OP, 5600 N. Lamar. What's up with that? I can't say for sure, although the cinematreasures listing for Chief Drive In both agrees with and contradicts the notion that they were different theaters. The two entries have different topographical maps, but they are both listed as being "Joseph's Drive In" and "North Austin Drive In" at different points. In any event, whether renamed or brand new, the Chief Drive-In Theater opened in 1947. The short history on the site goes on:
>The Chief Drive-In was opened in September 19, 1947 by Charles Ezell & Associates. The opening movie was Joel McRea in “The Virginian”. It was Austin’s oldest drive-in. In 1964 the screen was resurfaced and a twin box-office was built, plus a new marquee and remodeled concession area. The Chief Drive-In parked 814 cars and was a Trans-Texas Theatre. It was closed on July 24, 1973 with Charlton Heston in “Soylent Green” & Charlton Heston in “Skyjacked”.
If I may digress for a moment, there was another sort of drive-in right next door to there at 5534 N. Lamar around this time period, the Stallion Drive-Inn Restaurant. The Statesman recently had a couple of recent good writeups on the place that tell the story probably better than I ever could with quotes from people who were there.
You will notice that the cinematreasures article on the Chief mentions that it was once called the North Austin Drive in(whether the same location or not) and that there was also a South Austin Drive In. If you thought things were confusing before, just wait... When the Chief opened in the North Austin slot, so too, according to this newspaper clipping did the Montopolis Drive in theater. This place, like the Chief, apparently is the source of some small historynerd controversy today over where exactly it was. Apparently there is some confusion between this place and the Fiesta Drive In at Riverside Dr. and Montopolis Rd. which opened in the 1960s. A comment on the cinematreasures listing for Montopolis Drive In says the following:
>A 1954 aerial does not show a drive-in anywhere near the address which is currently listed.
>However, there was a drive-in that was at 7201 Levander Loop, Austin, TX. It was near the old Bastrop Highway on the north side of the Colorado River which seems to be the Montopolis Drive-In. By 1965, the drive-in had been demolished. Since then, the highway has changed and the Levander Loop is now the road which sits next to the property.
>Today, the property is occupied by a charging station and the Austin Animal Center.
The cinematreasures listing for Fiesta Drive In backs that up:
>Located at 1601 Montopolis Drive to the north of the junction with E. Riverside Drive. The Fiesta Drive-In was opened on August 4, 1964. From August 4, 1967 it was playing Mexican movies in Spanish. It was closed in 1979.
These were not the only drive in theaters in the Austin area. Let's go over a full list with cinematreasures links.
* Burnet Drive In - 6400 Burnet Road
* Fiesta Drive In - 1601 Montopolis Drive (at E. Riverside)
* Monotpolis/SouthAustin Drive In - 7201 Levander Loop
* Chief/NorthAustin/Joseph's Drive In - 5600 N Lamar (possibly the same as NorthAustin/ Drive In at 6600 N Lamar)
* Showtime USA Drive In - 8801 Cameron Road (at Rutherford Ln., now a car dealership)
* Southside Twin Drive In - 710 E. Ben White Boulevard (now the site of a Wal Mart)
* Rebel Drive In - 6902 Burleson Road (across from BergstromAFB/ABIA, mostly remembered as a porn theater)
* Longhorn Drive In - 108 Anderson Lane (lot is now office buildings, a hotel, and an apartment complex)
* Delwood Drive In - 3909 N. Interstate 35 Frontage Road (now the Fiesta grocery store, across from original Delwood Shopping Center)
There is a great book about all the history of all Austin cinemas, movieplexes, and drive ins down at the library or perhaps at your local bookseller that could probably answer a few of these small history mysteries. It's called Historic Moviehouses of Austin by Susan Rittereiser and Michael C. Miller. I have not read it myself but it's on my to-read list. If anyone here has already read it and has some answers to these or other similar mysteries, please speak in comments!
To my knowledge there are a couple of new drive in theaters that have opened in the past few years. Blue Star Mini Urban Drive In does what they can on a blow-up screen, and then I heard there is a new place called Doc's Drive In located in Buda. If you know of others, tell us about them!
The UNT archive does not have a lot of other pics of Austin drive ins. I will include the few cheezy other shots they have. That cinema treasures site has many more highly relevant but lower quality pics for the individual theater locations. They don't just have drive ins on that site either, but also many other well-remembered long gone Austin theaters, such as The Fox, The Americana, The Texas, The Varsity, The Aquarius IV, and The Mann Westgate 3 theaters, and then after that even more historic ones I don't have space to list.
Bonus Pic #1 - "Photograph of a mini train for children at theater located at 5601 North Lamar Boulevard. On the the engine where the conductor sits, an illustration of a Native American with a headdress can be seen painted on the side. Four children of varying ages can be seen riding in the cars of the train, which have animal cutouts placed on them for decoration. A train tunnel with a field beyond it can be seen in the back ground, and crossing signal light can be seen to the right" - November 4, 1961
Bonus Pic #2 - Night shot of a movie playing at Burnet Drive In - July 7, 1954
Bonus Pic #3 - Another night shot of a movie playing at Burnet Drive In - July 7, 1954
Bonus Pic #4 - Blank movie screen at Burnet Drive In in daytime, chairs in front - July 7, 1954
P.S. According to comments on the cinematrasures site the Children's Train in the OP was named "Toots". Toots the train.
Or she fell down from reading a dramatic part of a book about Fred and Adele. "I fell down: The Astaires!"
/u/NJBilbo - I was just talking to /u/itsalrightt about Joan Rivers and it made me think of [this book.] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1586481622/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1409868630&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40)
Great read and thought you might enjoy it.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Theatre-Absurd-Martin-Esslin/dp/1400075238
This book was formative for me. It's not all about Beckett, but it will give you insight in to the tropes, schemes, and thematic concerns of his work. It was my bible as a graduate student in dramatic literary theory.
Although few books I've read on Shakespeare performance are as interesting and engaging as Year of the King, you may also enjoy Exit, Pursued by a Badger.
Someone else posted this amazon link on a youtube video with this tinkerbell me. It says in the text description "...and she opens every Walt Disney Pictures film with a sprinkling of pixie dust..."
Is it hack to suggest typing the title and the word "book" into Google? It feels hack.
https://www.amazon.com/Im-Dying-Up-Here-Heartbreak/dp/1610398661/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526439353&sr=8-2&keywords=I%27m+dying+up+here&dpID=51e3hkfn0eL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch
I'd love to!
Bertolt Brecht: Chaos, According to Plan A great book that examines how Brecht used his cult of personality to call into question the purpose of organization in society. Much in the same way von Trier uses his cult of personality to question first world government (in short, you cannot respect an institution of order unless you have examined its most chaotic elements).
Bertolt Brecht's Dramatic Theory The easiest explanation I've encountered of verfremsduneffekt, the fundamental theory behind Dogma 95 and most of von Trier's work.
I also really enjoyed Playing the Waves, although it is the only book I've ever read about von Trier directly. It paints a portrait of a filmmaker trying to take European art back to a place it was in 1930's central Europe, when playwrights were escaping the Nazi's and fighting the influx of fascism over Europe. I think von Trier probably sees artists like Tristan Tzara and Antonin Artaud as more noble than most Hollywood producers, and he's trying to emulate the same radical aesthetics they were experimenting with.
From Phillip Brechtman on Tristan Tzara: "as long as we do things the way we think we once did them we will be unable to achieve any kind of livable society". I think that about sums up von Trier.
edit: formatting
A friend of mine recommended this book for me a few months back, and I found it to be incredibly informative and entertaining: Black Broadway: African Americans on the Great White Way by Stewart F. Lane. It has a lot of fascinating information and includes a lot of really cool pictures.
Other recommendations I have (which are great for anyone who wants to learn more about the Theater history in New York City) include: Lost Broadway Theaters by Nicholas van Hoogstraten, Music in German Immigrant Theater: New York City, 1840-1940 by John Koegel, It Happened on Broadway: An Oral History of the Great White Way by Myrna Katz Frommer, and Razzle Dazzle: The Battle for Broadway by Michael Riedel.
I hope some of those recommendations pique your interest. I’m curious, what books would you recommend?
I saw a Taiwanese magic TV series once. It was sort of like "American Idol", where bored judges would critique performances. The tricks were store-bought standards. Felt like a karaoke show.
For illusions, there's always "Fire and Phoenix"... like the dove pans, except you dye the birds red and gold.
Most of the "Chinese-themed illusions" I can think of are more like Vaudeville illusions dressed up in Orientalist design... sort of like how William Robinson and Theodore Bamberg dressed up in exotica. Juggling, acrobatics and music were bigger entertainments in China than "magic shows," although this link does have some info on northern traditions: http://gbtimes.com/life/art-magic-china
I really enjoyed this book on Long Tack Sam! longtacksam.com www.amazon.com/Magical-Life-Long-Tack-Sam/dp/1594482640/
I see a lot of books I should check out, good thread.
Im reading http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/158648317X for the second time. "I'm dying up here. Heart break High times In Stand up cp
Comedies golden era" the book is a great look into the lives of young comedians who are famous now, in the hardships of trying to make it big. (Richard Lewis, jay Leno, letterman, robin Williams, many more.) and how mitzi shore (Pauly shores mom) had a huge impact on the future of stand up and individual comics. So much In one book of how comedy got to where it is today. Also "war for late night" is cool, going over the whole Leno conan dispute and how other late night hosts got to where they are and how they shaped the game. Sorry for typing like an idiot using iphone.
Excellent advice! I will check out those books since I was unfamiliar with those resources.
I'm taking an online playwriting course which recommends Conducting A Life: Reflections on the Theatre of Maria Irene Fornes. I'm not sure why this book is recommended. You really need to read all of Maria Irene Fornes's plays to understand the book. But I guess Maria Irene Fornes was an influential teacher of playwriting and some of her writing exercises are described towards the end of the book.
It's not about SNL, but The Second City: Backstage At The World's Greatest Comedy Theatre features a lot about SNL alum during their pre-SNL days at Second City, including Mike Meyers, Chris Farley, Bill Murray, Tim Meadows, Martin Short, Dan Akyroyd, among many others.
There's some good discussion in William Shakespeare and Others: Collaborative Plays.
It's a healthy part of variety in any show, especially a written sketch revue. This old book has a few improv exercises that'll help gear your brain to creating satire.
Part of being a better improvisor is being aware of what's going on in your world. Satirical scenes just provide a lens through which you can talk about what you know and what your opinion of it is. Satire is not the be-all, end-all of improv, and a show can do without it. But you will a stronger improvisor if you can work with it.
https://www.amazon.com/Burnt-Cork-Traditions-Blackface-Minstrelsy/dp/1558499342
Thank you for posting this fabulous review. Thomas Mallon's essay reminds me of Dorothy Parker's theater reviews.
I wanted to do a theatre EE originally, but I ended up doing an English Lit EE. Why? Because I wanted to explore contextual work (i.e. Waiting for Godot ) and about how its themes were represented in the text. While this sounds like a theatre EE it is technically an English EE because I was exploring the text itself and not the production of Waiting for Godot since different directors may choose something different for the text.
Idk what you want your EE to be specifically about, but if it's about studying the play through the text, it's better off as an english EE.
If you want to write an EE about theatre in specific (e.g. how proxemics influence a character's story arc, or how lighting affects moods of scene or whatever) then a theatre EE would be optimal.
In IB Theatre, a lot of emphasis is placed on the 'creative process' which is fancy way of saying 'how did you come up with this original theatre?'. A very low scoring answer would be 'i saw it online lol' while a higher scoring one would be along the lines of 'I experimented with different ideas of presenting this topic, and I asked a bunch of people what they thought and worked from there." Honestly, IB theatre isnt a great place to start for an EE in theatre unless your EE is specifically about a creative process. If you really need something to work off of, you could read this book by Frantic assembly about their own creative process. Maybe it'll spark your interest which you can then bring to your supervisor. Here's the link -->
https://www.amazon.com/Frantic-Assembly-Book-Devising-Theatre/dp/1138777005/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
have fun with your EE!